I would willingly have paid ten times the cover price for the David Piper interview alone - this was Motor Sport at its best. What a great guy - it's people like Pipes that keep my interest in motor racing alive. May he live for ever.

On a more sour note, I notice that once again Nigel Roebuck cannot miss the opportunity to give us yet another small rant about Gordon Brown. Well, here's my own small rant - give it a bloody rest, Nigel. We know your opinions on that man, and it's very, very boring to keep hearing them.

[i]Originally posted by ian senior ]I would willingly have paid ten times the cover price for the David Piper interview alone - this was Motor Sport at its best. ]

The quality and enjoyment of the Piper article is an especial bonus for me as this month's issue marks the 600th copy of MS which I have bought, and completes my 50 years as a reader of the magazine. My thanks to all who have made it so enjoyable over the half century.
Exits stage left to collect gold watch
Roger Lund

Originally posted by ian senior On a more sour note, I notice that once again Nigel Roebuck cannot miss the opportunity to give us yet another small rant about Gordon Brown. Well, here's my own small rant - give it a bloody rest, Nigel. We know your opinions on that man, and it's very, very boring to keep hearing them.

But this is the Roebuck style Ian, if he likes a man, it gets repeated - Andretti, Villeneuve, Prost. If he doesn't - Brown, Blair etc. He is at best, consistent

Originally posted by bradbury west The quality and enjoyment of the Piper article is an especial bonus for me as this month's issue marks the 600th copy of MS which I have bought, and completes my 50 years as a reader of the magazine. My thanks to all who have made it so enjoyable over the half century.Exits stage left to collect gold watchRoger Lund

Sorry Roger, I have 636 consecutive issues of Road & Track and when I passed the 50 year mark two years ago I did not get anything ......

Of course the difference here is that Motor Sport keeps getting better, while R&T has gone precipitously in the other direction, but that is an item for another thread and another time...

Roebuck is a fine journalist and whilst I admire some passion and strong opinion about the sport I really could do without his Daily Mail mumblings about politics- it is lazy to assume (as I suspect he does ) that to share a sport is to share the same politics.

And what a bloody star David Piper is- knew that already but reading about his racing life in the 60s ...wow.Just a shame about all the friends you had to lose....

I couldn't help but notice that in the "Lunch with... David Piper" article, they photo captioned David in his Ferrari "heading for second in the 1969 TT." He did infact place second, but in his Lola T70MK3B. So where and when was this photo taken?

Could anyone with the February issue let me know if there is a mention or picture of a Porsche 911 (#26) raced in IMSA at Mid-Ohio or Road America by Tim Selby/Earl Roe here in the U.S during the early 1980's.

Originally posted by mwphoto Could anyone with the February issue let me know if there is a mention or picture of a Porsche 911 (#26) raced in IMSA at Mid-Ohio or Road America by Tim Selby/Earl Roe here in the U.S during the early 1980's.

Thanks,Mark Windecker

Mark,

There is indeed an article on a Tim Selby 911 it even makes the front cover....

Originally posted by Giraffe I couldn't help but notice that in the "Lunch with... David Piper" article, they photo captioned David in his Ferrari "heading for second in the 1969 TT." He did infact place second, but in his Lola T70MK3B. So where aBy giraffe138nd when was this photo taken?

David Piper's Lola T70Mk3B at the TT at Oulton, 1969. You can just see David's head in the far left of the shot!

[QUOTE]Originally posted by mwphoto
[B]Could anyone with the February issue let me know if there is a mention or picture of a Porsche 911 (#26) raced in IMSA at Mid-Ohio or Road America by Tim Selby/Earl Roe here in the U.S during the early 1980's.

Originally posted by mwphoto Could anyone with the February issue let me know if there is a mention or picture of a Porsche 911 (#26) raced in IMSA at Mid-Ohio or Road America by Tim Selby/Earl Roe here in the U.S during the early 1980's.

Thanks,Mark Windecker

A couple of shots of the car off the " Motor Sport " stand at the Autosport Show...

I am surprised that no one has picked up on the excellent item by DCN on the Short Bros 'plane from 1920 which featured a rivetted alloy monocoque construction akin to our much loved modern racing cars, especially the aero-structure Ferrari F1, but with a propellor where our gearboxes are.
Roger Lund

Originally posted by Paul Jeffrey Speaking to someone on the Motor Sport stand yesterday (at the NEC Autosports Show) they are working on the 1930s and 1940s for the next set of discs. Not sure when these would be available.

That sounds fantastic. I've just subscribed and went for the 1960s, but the 1930s would be just an attractive proposition.

Originally posted by Paul Jeffrey Speaking to someone on the Motor Sport stand yesterday (at the NEC Autosports Show) they are working on the 1930s and 1940s for the next set of discs. Not sure when these would be available.

They told me it would be "some time in early 2009" when I asked a couple of months ago. I also asked if they'd be including 'Speed', but - sadly - that looks unlikely, as they apparently don't have copies themselves :

But as Beaulieu has a full run of them, maybe if enough of us ask ....

This month my copy didn't arrive. I left it for a week or so to let the dust settle after Chrismas and last week I e-mailed them and asked why and also asked why I haven't yet received my 50's CD. Today i got a reply - it appears that for some reason when changing from a quarterly subscription to the two-yearly one the direct debit was declined (I suspect because they used out of date details).

But why, why, why didn't the subscriptions dept contact me and say there was a problem?

Originally posted by retriever Really annoying - once again Motorsport is on sale in Sainburys whilst my subscription copy has yet to be delivered!

[Dons newsagent hat (again)] It seems that both Motor Sport and Octane are attempting to steal a march on Classic & Sports Car by advancing their newsstand publication dates by a week. Not too many months ago all three were publishing in the first week of the month (which would have meant - for example - the March issues appearing on the first Thursday in February). Now, Motor Sport and Octane are working 5-6 weeks ahead compared to the issue date, so their March issues have arrived on the last Thursday in January.

Motor Sport have advanced their publication date by three weeks in three years: it takes the subscription agencies a while to catch up, because they have to re-jig their schedules to accommodate these changes. [Puts newsagent hat away again]

Back on topic: enjoyed Lunch with Paddy Hopkirk immensely - and DCN's Falcon piece - I'd have loved to read more of Ramponi's memoirs though ....

Originally posted by RA Historian Fellows, not too much sympathy here because you have not received your March issues yet. Over on this side of the pond we are still waiting for February to arrive. Tom

Tom,

As I walked thorugh Heathrow a week or so ago to catch the next leg of my flight from Dulles to Kuwait, I saw an issue of Motor Sport that will not arrive in my doorstep back in NoVa for some weeks to come.... I almost bought it, but I had other things to deal with at the moment (LHR being LHR, that meant changes to boarding times and other similar irritants) and never got around to it.

Originally posted by RA Historian Fellows, not too much sympathy here because you have not received your March issues yet. Over on this side of the pond we are still waiting for February to arrive. Tom

Mine arrived last weekend, but it certainly varies from month to month.

Originally posted by terry mcgrath has anyone got any comments on the digitised motor sport magaziunes on CD/DVD are they truly searchable ie every last bit on every page including adds?comments welcomeregards terry

I have the 60s & 70s CDs. They seem OK to me, however without reading every single page, difficult to say if any of my searches have been missed. But yes, it finds the words you are looking for in reports, articles, results and ads. Very clever, how does it do it? Each page is scanned (obviously) from old back issues, so in effect they are scanning a printed page/photo. Did someone have to copy type in everything...or is there advanced software that can recognise words just from a scan?

I have yet to print one of the pages, but they blow up OK on the screen to read them.Now come on Autosport, we need a similar thing, but as a 'weekly' they would probably only get 2-3 years worth on each CD. The cost may be prohibitive.

Originally posted by terry mcgrath has anyone got any comments on the digitised motor sport magaziunes on CD/DVD are they truly searchable ie every last bit on every page including adds?

Yes: everything, including ads, is searchable.

Searching, however, seems to be based upon the magazine scans having been put through character-recognition software without any further (manual) editing, so I've found it pays to be creative in what you search for (e.g. after searching for whole words/names, etc. try searching for parts thereof...)

Did someone have to copy type in everything...or is there advanced software that can recognise words just from a scan?

There certainly is. I use a programme called ScanSoft OmniPage Pro, which is excellent, but there are others.I also use a programme called Dragon NaturallySpeaking, which recognises words just from a microphone.

Originally posted by bill p The same happens in the UK for American Mags. I received my subscription copy of Jan/Feb 2009 Vintage Motorsport on 20 January which has been on USA newsstands since mid-Dec 2008.

I must really live in the twilight zone of the Postal Service. Vintage Motorsport may have been on the US newstands in mid December, but my subscription copy did not arrive here in Wisconsin until early January. Tom

Originally posted by RA Historian I must really live in the twilight zone of the Postal Service. Vintage Motorsport may have been on the US newstands in mid December, but my subscription copy did not arrive here in Wisconsin until early January. Tom

Somehow they have sent me two copies of the 1950's DVD. Anybody got a 1960's they'd like to swap? Or, if you're contemplating getting the 1950's whether by paying or taking up the subscription offer, get the sixties instead and contact me. I'll pay postage in all cases.

Originally posted by RA Historian I must really live in the twilight zone of the Postal Service. Vintage Motorsport may have been on the US newstands in mid December, but my subscription copy did not arrive here in Wisconsin until early January. Tom

Originally posted by sterling49 Mine arrived today, have not looked through it yet, but read DCN's great article on touring car racing and Gentleman Jack's Galaxie, takes me back, as I saw him race it when I was a bit younger ;)

I thought DCN was a bit unfair about touring cars - or saloon cars.Yes it did degenarate into the current crashfest with the advent of the 2 litre formula but its immediate predecessor was absolutely brilliant.What was there not to like about 500bhp Sierras ? I also had a soft spot for the Rover 3500s and 635s , and before that for Yogi's Camaro et al.

I thought DCN was a bit unfair about touring cars - or saloon cars.Yes it did degenarate into the current crashfest with the advent of the 2 litre formula but its immediate predecessor was absolutely brilliant.What was there not to like about 500bhp Sierras ? I also had a soft spot for the Rover 3500s and 635s , and before that for Yogi's Camaro et al.

... and who could forget Frank Gardner in the Boss Mustang and the big Camaro? Then of course there was Bill McGovern's Imp; the Broadspeed Capri; the Alan Mann Escorts; etc etc etc.

Originally posted by Racer.Demon
To mildly diverge from the issue of long-awaited reception, has anyone here from outside the UK ordered the 2009 Motor Sport calendar? And if so, are they still waiting for it to arrive?

Yes, I also suffered from my calendars arriving late January over the last few years with many phonecalls to chase up - I didn't bother ordering one this year

This month my copy didn't arrive. I left it for a week or so to let the dust settle after Chrismas and last week I e-mailed them and asked why and also asked why I haven't yet received my 50's CD. Today i got a reply - it appears that for some reason when changing from a quarterly subscription to the two-yearly one the direct debit was declined (I suspect because they used out of date details).

But why, why, why didn't the subscriptions dept contact me and say there was a problem?

Customer care?

Credit where credit's due. After Martin Nott (the publisher) got involved things happened and it all got sorted out.Full marks to Martin for being prepared to get involved.

Originally posted by bill p Yes, I also suffered from my calendars arriving late January over the last few years with many phonecalls to chase up - I didn't bother ordering one this year

I will now have my money refunded, of course with the sincerest apologies and the assurance that the international dispatcher has gotten some serious stick... They seem to have a real problem with their overseas delivery.

Originally posted by Vitesse2 in February 2008It's ABC time again, with mixed news for motoring and motor sport magazines.

After withdrawing from ABC during the change of ownership, Motor Sport is back. No figures were produced for 2006, but I can give a comparison with 2005 which I think we're all agreed was a bit of a nadir.

Worldwide the average monthly sale is up 11.1% from 27325 to 30362. UK/RoI sales are up 10.6% from 19115 to 21153 and foreign sales 12.2% from 8210 to 9209. The UK retail (non-subscription) sales are up 6.8% from 7302 to 7822.

Considering the fortunes of motoring magazines in general and Autosport and Motorsport News in particular over the past two years, I'd say that's a more than satisfactory set of numbers for the new editorial team to build on.

February again, folks. I idly clicked on the ABC website tonight and was pleased to see that Motor Sport's new figures are available. It would appear that the new editorial team have indeed been building on those numbers.

That worldwide monthly sale figure has increased by a further 8.3% to 33210. UK/RoI sales are up 8.0% to 22846, foreign sales up 12.5% to 10364. UK retail sales are now 9330, a remarkable rise of 19.3%!

The trade analyses won't be available for about ten days, but there's a general gloom in the business at the moment - I expect to see some pretty disastrous numbers from some of the publishers across all categories. Motor Sport may very well turn out to be one of the stars this time round: in comparison, a quick calculation based on the UK newsstand sales only shows Motorsport News is down 22% year-on-year, Autosport down 15% and F1 Racing down 19%!

Originally posted by Racer.Demon To mildly diverge from the issue of long-awaited reception, has anyone here from outside the UK ordered the 2009 Motor Sport calendar? And if so, are they still waiting for it to arrive?

This is the third year running that my calendar's been late. Mid-January I contacted the magazine and they would dispatch a replacement calendar immediately. You guessed it, I'm still waiting for it.

I've just told them I'd rather have my money back now and won't on this and previous form order any more calendars in the future.

I think they should have a very strong word with their international dispatcher since I'm afraid that the intended receivers aren't the only ones to regard these calendars as collector's items...

My calendar failed to arrive a few years ago, the year it was photos of the Targa Florio. I chased it several times, getting nowhere. Eventually I got through to the editor's PA. She was most apologetic. A large package arrived a few days later but to my disbelief they had sent the rally calendar, and not the Targa one.

Eventually, my wife went down to Teddington and collected it in person.

Originally posted by idrive It's a lovely mag, but here in South Africa costs the same as 4 packets of 20 cigarettes ........ no, I don't smoke!

Here in Chicago a copy of Motor Sport is about a dollar more than a pack of smokes. You heard me...one pack of smokes. Two packs if I'm out in the suburbs (the sales tax on tobacco almost doubles the price in the city, over $8 here vs. $4 out there. Can't remember if it's county or city tax.).

We finally got the Feb issue on newsstands last week. Over the holidays I don't think most of the chain stores here in the city even got it, along with C&SC and EVO, all of which I ended up getting at the newsstand at NorthWestern Station...er, Ogilvie Transportation Center. The train stations seemed to get them faster than the bookstores, even though they use the same distributor. It was fine when I commuted in from the suburbs, less so when I moved!